The Delta State Government has again warned individuals and communities to desist from allocating its acquired lands across the state to any interest, stressing that it will no longer tolerate any act of encroachment and undue acquisition of its properties.
Specifically, the state government said it will revoke the ownership right of all individuals and groups occupying its lands illegally, just as the ones that were illegitimately acquired by some “faceless persons” will be reverted and reallocated where necessary.
The state Commissioner for Lands and Surveys, Hon. Chika Ossai handed down the warning yesterday in an interview with journalists in Asaba shortly after he led staff of the ministry on an extensive inspection of some portions of government lands located in different parts of the state capital city.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell those encroaching into government lands to stay away because this government will no longer take that nonsense and those who have been presenting fake C of O (Certificate of Occupancy) should put it behind them because we will no longer accept such,” Ossai warned.
“Whether you bought (the land) from an individual or community, government land is government land. If any community had given out portions of its land to the government for the purpose of development, I don’t see any reason why that same community should sell out the same portions of land to other individuals or groups. Government will not continue to encourage that and we will do anything humanly possible to ensure that we stop such acts,” he added.
The commissioner expressed concern that some illegally acquired portions of government land have been developed, just as cases of multiple claims to one piece of land abound, vowing that the Ministry of Lands and Surveys will intensify its land regularisation efforts across the state.
He observed that the endless controversies trailing land ownership and development in the state is negatively affecting private investment, noting that the state government frowns at anything that will undermine its efforts at creating a conducive environment for businesses and investment.
Joshua Erubami
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